The work is selling from a New York private collection. It will undoubtedly attract the interest of bidders across the globe, especially considering that at least one critic considers Ruby to be "one of the most interesting artists to emerge in this century."

"That's only eight years, of course," added New York Times art critic Roberta Smith.

Ruby is a multi-disciplinary artist best known for his unusual glazed ceramic works and large scale spray-painted canvases. Urethane sculptures and various forms of collage are also key to his repertoire.

Inspirations within the unusual outward appearances of Ruby's artworks include marginalised societies, artefacts and antiquities, modernist architecture, graffiti, and even mechanisms of warfare and maximum security prisons.

Ruby's sculpture is initialled and dated 'SR 06' on its underside, and is constructed from ceramic, glaze, wood and Formica. It measures 43 38 34 cm.

One thing's for sure: Sterling Ruby is definitely a contemporary artist to take notice of.